|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071016/EDITORIAL/110160010/1013
Iran's Choice: Planes or Bombs?
[Washington Times] Michael B. Kraft and Brett Wallace - With Secretary of State Rice calling the Iranian regime liars about their nuclear program, it is time to consider sharply cutting off Iran's air links to the outside world. The time has come to ratchet up the pressure in a new and more visible direction as an alternative to military action. Most of the current sanctions are relatively invisible except to bankers or the would-be exporter or importer. By contrast, suspending Iran Air's landing rights and cutting off spare parts and maintenance services would be a very visible and dramatic step to both the Iranian public and the mullahs. It would make clear to the world and the Iranian people that Ahmadinejad's support for nuclear weapons, his calls for the destruction of Israel and threats to other neighbors make Tehran a pariah regime that deserves to be quarantined. Michael B. Kraft is a former State Department counterterrorism official. Brett Wallace is a research coordinator at the International Center for Terrorism Studies.